Outgoing health minister Tony Abbott has declared he will challenge Malcolm Turnbull for the leadership of the Liberal Party.

The race is on to fill the Liberal power vacuum after Peter Costello's shock decision not to nominate for the job yesterday.

"I'm offering myself as a candidate, I don't know how the numbers are likely to pan out," Mr Abbott said this morning.

"Obviously we're mourning our politically fallen colleagues but I will be a candidate. "

"I think there are going to be some tricky problems of party management but I think I have reasonably good people skills.

"It's going to be very important to hold the Government accountable.

"I think it's very important that we're fair dinkum with the Australian people."

That would be a nice change. Please lead by example, Mr Abbott.

"I think in the months and years ahead, people are going to want substance, not spin from their political leaders."

He did learn something from the massacre of the Coalition at Saturday's election after all.

Abbott has clearly decided to ignore the advice of his mates who reportedly had been pushing him to give up politics and "go home to his wife" when the Coalition lost the election.

Tony Abbott is already about as popular as a kick in the nuts with most Australians. Having him pout, hiss, stare demonically, yell, shriek and whine as opposition leader for the next three years will steer the Liberals the way of the Democrats. Total oblivion.

Plus, with Tony "Too Raw" Abbott as the bullhead of the New Far Right, room will be made for Alex Hawke to be given a 'voice' in the Liberal Party, now he's completed his coup crusade and has been installed as the member for Mitchell, in Sydney's Bible Belt.

If you don't know who Alex Hawke is yet, don't worry, you'll hear about him soon enough. His first speech to Parliament will likely feature his favourite mantra about the power and beauty of what happens when Christianity Meets Capitalism.

That's exactly what Australian conservative politics needs right now, the rise of wealthy evangelicals. After all, look how well it's worked out in the United States with President Bush.